Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen A Monument on Wheels

I know about the old man Bai Fangli from a person in charge of the school department of the League Central Committee. He told me that there is an old man who rides a tricycle in Tianjin. With the hard-earned money, nearly 200 college students' tuition and living expenses have been funded, and they have been praised and received by Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Li Ruihuan and other leaders.When I heard this for the first time, apart from my strong shock, I couldn't easily accept this fact in my heart.I think it is too cruel for an old man in his eighties who rides a tricycle to use his hard-earned money to feed, dress and go to school for so many young college students. Too... In short, I have an indescribable feeling in my heart.

Before I went to interview, I called the Tianjin Youth League Committee and asked them to help find this old man. On May 19th, I was attending a literature seminar in Beijing. In the middle of the meeting, I heard a message from Tianjin on my pager: "There is no such thing as Mr. Bai in Tianjin..." How is this possible!I walked out of the conference hall and hurriedly made a long-distance call to Tianjin, asking them to continue to help in the search.In the afternoon, the other party told me that "it has been found", which made me feel relieved.I couldn't sleep at 4 o'clock the next morning, so I took a "taxi" to the Zhaogongkou Coach Station in the suburbs of the city at 5 o'clock. Because I arrived too early, I waited in the morning dew for more than an hour before leaving for Tianjin.

At around 9:30, a comrade from the Municipal Student Federation took me around the streets and walked a lot, and arrived at Tianjin Railway Station. "Uncle Bai is right behind that big billboard." The comrades of the Students' Union pointed to the giant advertisement on the west side of the train station and said to me, "Uncle Bai usually has no fixed location and walks everywhere. For your interview today, yesterday I made a special trip in the afternoon and asked him to wait here today." Over the endless stream of cars and bustling people, we came to a triangle behind the giant billboard.From a distance, I saw a pile of tattered things on the side of the road in that triangle, including various bottles and cans, waste paper bins, etc. In the center of these waste piles, there was an old woven fabric. A small shed with a height of only half a person is made of bags.Behind the shed, I saw an old man in shabby clothes washing two old peaked caps in a small basin...

"This is Uncle Bai?!" "It's him." At this moment, the old man raised his head.My heart trembled: Isn't this a replica of an oil painting?Look at the deep wrinkles and face full of vicissitudes... "Are you a writer from Beijing?" The old man straightened up, and his swarthy face suddenly showed a simple and honest apology, "Look, why didn't I do it, and the higher-ups paid attention to it again." The old man turned out to be a person who made people see the bottom line from the moment he opened his mouth! "But you don't look like me now..." The old man frowned and pointed to me, "I used to have 13 small shops here. A while ago, the government called for renovation of stations and streets. Environment, our small shops and kiosks have to be demolished. I am a model worker and have been an old model worker for decades. I have to take the lead in responding to the government’s call, so I asked the government to demolish my small shops first. There are 13 small shops. They brought more than 30 cars and more than 100 people that day. After nearly a day, they were all demolished. Now I am like this, not at all, not before. In this way, business is going well!"

The old man is still a person who has done a big business, which I didn't expect. "Hey, business used to be big." When the old man mentioned this, he was immediately in high spirits.He said that his place was a piece of land that Mayor Zhang Lichang personally approved for him a few years ago for him to build a small pavilion to sell some fruits and steamed stuffed buns. "I'm an old model worker, so I want to do more for the country and make more contributions. Just wait, I'll show you the materials..." The old man turned around and got into the small shed, and took out four overstuffed bags to show me: "It's all materials, written about me, and photos. There are so many. I have been a model worker for more than ten years. , Do you think how many materials I have written for me for more than ten years! I have gone too far, and there are many, many more at home..." The simple old man picked up crumpled sheets of various related introductions that had already turned yellow. His newspapers and news pictures were shown to me like treasures, and there was a childlike smile on his vicissitudes of life.And it is from these bits and pieces of materials that have long been yellowed and blurred that I learned about this old man riding a tricycle——

The old man Bai Fangli was born in 1912. His ancestral home was Baijia Village, Cang County, Hebei. His ancestors were poor. In 1944, he fled to Tianjin due to the difficulty of living, and became a tricycle driver after a few years of wandering.Since then, he has never stopped once he stepped on the tricycle, until today, more than 50 years later.After liberation, Bai Fangli became a model worker serving the people on his own two legs, and also raised his four children on a tricycle, three of whom went to college.An old man who could not read since he was a child feels gratified that he can use the sweat of rolling a tricycle to raise his children into college students. In 1986, when a 74-year-old man who had pedaled dozens of times around the earth was about to bid farewell to his tricycle, he changed his mind by going back to his hometown once, and started a new life course by pedaling on the tricycle again.

Baby, you don't go to school in broad daylight, what are you doing in the field?The old man saw a group of children working in the crop field, so he asked.The children told the grandpa from the city that their adults would not let them go to school.How is this going?The old man found the child's parents and asked why.Parents said, farmers don't have so much money to send their children to school.Hearing this, the old man felt like his heart was full of lead. He ran to the school and asked the principal, how much would the children be charged so that the children could not afford to go to school?The headmaster smiled wryly and said, "It's only a hundred and eighty a year, but there are really students coming to school, but there are no teachers."The old man is puzzled, why is there no teacher?The principal said, it's not that the salary is too low to keep them.The old man was speechless.

That night, the old man tossed and turned sleeplessly: his hometown is so impoverished because the peasants are ignorant, but the children still can’t go to school, so is it necessary to make the hometown poor for generations?No!Other things are fine, but not the child not going to school. "I have something to tell you. I originally planned to go back to my hometown to live in peace and happiness, but now I have changed my mind. I want to go back to the city and resume my old job." At the family meeting, the old man Bai Fangli announced in front of his wife and children, "Another The thing is, I want to give all the 5,000 yuan I saved from riding a tricycle to my hometown for education. It doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree with this matter, I have made up my mind, and no one will get in the way!”

Others don't know, but my wife and children know that this 5,000 yuan is the only "retirement money" that the old man has saved for decades!It's useless to be anxious, let alone shouting, since the old man has made his own decision, let him go.The family sighed helplessly, and the filial sons and daughters were worried that the father had ridden a tricycle all his life, and now at such an old age, he should have enjoyed the happiness, but he... well, I can't stop it, the old man's temper The family knows best. "Dad, it's useless to talk about anything else, you can always take it easy, and come back early to rest when your legs and feet feel a little tired." As usual, the children prepared a bottle of water for the old man when he went out , a towel, has been watching the end of the street.

As for Bai Fangli, although he was still so familiar with getting on the tricycle again this time, and going around in circles, but there was one more thing in his heart than before, and that was the children going to school.Yes, Chairman Mao has liberated us for decades, why are there still people who can’t keep studying? !No, I must never let the little ones be like me who can't read a few words and can only ride a tricycle. When the 74-year-old man thought of this, he lifted his legs heavily, and with just such a lift, he circled the earth six more times... Facing such a persistent and tenacious old man, my heart can't help trembling strongly.The tricycle that accompanied the old man around the world a few times was parked next to it. A triangular red flag, with three lines on the red flag: Preferential treatment for the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled, duty for orphans and old households, half price for military martyrs.

"Look at how many cyclists are around our station! The competition is great. But I never earn black-hearted money. In order to earn more money for the children to study, I try to run more times every day. This banner After going out, a lot of former old guys rolled their eyes at me, saying how do we do business because you keep the price down and engage in obligations. I said you were wrong. There are so many people at the station who want cars, how can I take care of them? How can you make money? In order to support my family and make a fortune, I am different, so I can engage in some responsibilities. Of course, I also want to make money, but the money I make is for my children to go to school. Half-price jobs. Listen to me, those old guys will no longer be hard on me." The old man said happily as he cleaned the car.However, I couldn't be happier. Looking at this old man on a tricycle who was as pale as a cypress in front of me, his clothes were as shabby as a beggar on the street. The cause has sponsored a huge sum of 300,000 yuan, and has supported more than 200 impoverished college students who are studying in several universities such as Tianjin and Nankai, and dozens of primary and middle school students with financial difficulties to go to school! "Grandpa, you have donated so much money to the students, but you live so hard!" I couldn't bear to look at the life of this old man who was in his dying years. He was wearing unmatched clothes, shoes and hats from head to toe. What he ate was cold steamed buns and a bottle of boiled water. The so-called "bed" that he said he had lived here for ten years was just a wooden board and an old overcoat on top of two stacks of bricks.There is no "house", the only "house" is a flimsy shed supported by a piece of plastic woven bag cloth and four small wooden poles.The night I came here, there was a heavy rain in Beijing and Tianjin. The old man said that he spent the night in the rain. He showed me a quilt that was drying in the sun. There was a large pool of water on it... "It used to be a small pavilion, about 7 square meters, and there was a place to live. Now it's no good, it's been demolished, and I don't know when it will get better..." The old man seemed to me that he couldn't see his previous "brilliance" I feel a little sorry for the kiosk.In fact, someone told me that even then, the old man still lived an unsightly frugal life.In order to earn a little more money, he has not lived at home for many years, especially after his wife passed away, he took the small pavilion by the station as his home. Many times, due to work needs, he would sleep wherever he went, a newspaper Putting it on the ground, putting a brick on the back of his head, and covering his face with a hat are all the "procedures" for him to prepare before going to bed. "I've never bought clothes. You see, the shirts and trousers I wear are all picked up from time to time. There are also shoes, two of which are different. Look, the lining inside is different! And socks, I They are all picked up. I pick one today and another tomorrow, and if there are more, I can match them. None of the things I wear from head to toe, from inside to outside, are bought with money." The old man said here He said to me very mysteriously, "So many reporters interviewed me, but I didn't tell them these things. You were the first to know." I quickly said thank you for being old.So the old man went on to say: "I am not willing to spend money! It is not easy to earn 10 or 20 yuan for a ride. The children are waiting for my money to study, and I am thinking about the hundreds of students I sponsored every day. I can't spend Money can only be earned from it. It is not easy for children to get into college, but they still can’t afford to go to college. What do you think about this? I heard people say that there are many students in several universities in Tianjin. I passed the exam but had no money to buy books and eat enough to eat. I thought the parents of the children could not earn money for them, but I could still earn some by riding a tricycle, so I went back to my old job and pedaled to Now, I can’t get out of the car once I pedal. How much do you think hundreds of students will spend for a year just to eat and pay their tuition fees! I am a model worker, I have no education, and I am too old. It’s alright. Is there still dozens of dollars left for a day’s pedaling? The children can go to class with peace of mind if they have money, so when I think about it, I’m getting more and more energetic..." What the old man said made my eyes sore. In today's society, there are big money who can sponsor millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of units. Although making money is not so easy for everyone, it is easier for them than Bai Fangli anyway. I don't know how many times.However, every penny that the Jinmen old man in front of me gave to the students was stepped on with his own legs, one foot high and the other foot low. It is accumulated by the drops of sweat, how hard it is, and how hard it is! One day, when the old man was pedaling back to his "home", he saw a woman lying unconscious on the side of the road.He hurriedly got out of the car and helped the woman in her 40s onto his tricycle, and then went straight to the hospital.Unexpectedly, the woman who woke up from the turbulence said that she would not let the old man be sent to the hospital. "I beg you, sir, I'm going back to school, please turn the car around for me." The old man was a little puzzled when he heard what the woman said, so he asked what was going on.When the woman told him that she was a teacher, she was in poor health and had anemia, and now she had to rush to correct students' homework.When Uncle Bai heard this, his heart felt hot, and his sincerity in supporting education was further strengthened.And it seems that every time I think of this female teacher who is anemic due to fatigue, the old man not only pedals harder on the one hand, but also is more demanding on his frugal life on the other hand.In addition to not buying clothes, hats, shoes and socks, he even tried his best not to buy or spend money on food. People often saw him picking up steamed buns, bread or half-eaten sausages thrown away by others... Bai Fangli's deeds were widely publicized and reported by the news media, and he became a household name.Once he was gnawing on a piece of steamed bun while taking a nap at the No. 5 bus station.Someone recognized him as "Contemporary Wu Xun" Bai Fangli, and surrounded him.Someone asked him: "You always donate one hundred and eighty thousand to others, why do you suffer so much?" The old man held up the discarded steamed buns that can be seen everywhere today and said, "Why is this bitter? This steamed bun was bought by the peasant brothers with a drop of sweat. They threw it away. I picked it up and ate it. It's a lot of waste." Several people present were moved to tears. In order for the old man to let the children go to school with peace of mind, he almost used his life beyond the limit to help.The old man told me that one year he went to Nankai University to donate to poor students, and the school wanted to send a car to pick him up. The old man said no, and used the gas money he saved to buy books for the poor children.Later, he rode a tricycle to Nankai University by himself.At the donation ceremony, the teacher from the Ministry of Education and Industry told the story, and the audience burst into tears.When many students came to the stage to receive the subsidy money from the old man Bai Fangli, their hands were shaking, saying that we are so sorry that such a tricycle old man who is not much better than a beggar pays for tuition and living expenses in our youth.There was a college student from a poverty-stricken area in Xinjiang who had excellent academic performance and good moral character. Before he graduated, he was spotted by a big company in Tianjin and hired him with a high salary.At the donation ceremony, the Xinjiang student couldn't help but walked onto the stage and said excitedly: "I feel an unprecedented spirit and strength from Mr. Bai. This spirit has sublimated my soul. Now I officially present to The school also expressed to Uncle Bai: I will not stay in Tianjin after graduation, I want to return to my hometown which is still impoverished, and use Uncle Bai’s spirit to work hard to contribute to the change of poverty and backwardness.” The classmate bowed deeply to Bai Fangli bowed.At this time, the emotions of the audience were excited, and a group of college students from Anhui, Guizhou and other places came to the stage one after another to express their obedience to the distribution and go to the most difficult and most needed places in the motherland. This scene on the Nankai campus is the most gratifying thing for Bai Fangli.He said that some people said that I was stupid, that I gave all the hard-earned money to others, but I didn't live like a human being.It's not right to say what others say.I had a hard time, and every dollar I earned was not easy.But I feel at ease. I am happy to see that the college students can arouse a sense of serving the country from the little things I do.As you can see, a person of my age, who can't read or write, has nothing to contribute to the country.But the college students I donated to are different. They are educated and understand science. Maybe there will be a few great talents in the future, and how much they will contribute to the country!When the old man said this, he took out a list of sponsored students from one of the bags and showed it to me. He said that he could not read and did not know what was written on it, but he knew that these children were good children from poor places. , how can a good boy be admitted to famous universities such as Nankai and Tianjin University?When the old man said this, his bloodshot eyes opened very wide, as if he had seen that the hard-earned money he exchanged for sweat had been rewarded satisfactorily. "I donate some money to these children so that they can buy books to learn knowledge, and buy some food to nourish their bodies. Hey, they graduated from college in a blink of an eye, went to work, and made scientific inventions. How much do you think they should do for national construction? Contribute!" When I saw the old man say this, his face was very bright. In 1994, Bai Fangli, who was 82 years old at the time, was at a donation meeting for the poor students of a certain school. After he handed over the 3,000 yuan of hard-earned money he earned throughout the cold winter to the school, the leader of the school said that he would represent 300 people in the school. More poor students paid tribute to him.Hearing this, the old man thought for a long time: There are so many children in my family who lack money to go to school, the money I earn from riding a tricycle alone cannot save many children!What can I do?The old man's heart suddenly became heavy.After returning to his open-air "home" at the station, the old man thought about it all night, and knocked on the door of his children's house before dawn the next day. "Father, nothing happened to you when you came so early, right?" The children saw the old man panting and covered in dew, not knowing why the old man was in a hurry, so they hurriedly let him into the house. The old man asked for a bowl of water, patted the dust on his clothes, and said, "I'm going to sell the two old houses left by your mother and me, and borrow some money to start a company." "Hahaha, my old man, you didn't drink much last night, did you?" The children couldn't help laughing when they heard this. The old man got a little angry, and said with a straight face: "I'm telling you serious things, isn't it funny? I just want to start a company, and I've already thought of a name. It's called 'Bai Fangli Supporting Education Company'." "What? The dumpling or the dumpling company?" "Support—teaching, supporting support, teaching teaching, and companies supporting education." The old man read each word clearly to his children and grandchildren. This time I heard it clearly: the old man is really obsessed, it is not enough to dare to sell his life, and he wants to be a "professional" sponsor! "What do you think? Ah, tell me, do you support or oppose?" The old man anxiously asked this and that. The sons and daughters looked at me and I looked at you, and said in unison: "Dad, as long as you always see what suits you, you can do whatever you want." "Hahaha, did I say that my children are like me?" This time it was the old man's turn to be overjoyed. "Dad, we are not worried, we are just worried that you are still old..." Bai Fangli waved to his children and said, "It's nothing. It's a hundred times better for you to support me in setting up a supporting education company than to buy me canned food and malted milk. Let's go—" The old man rang the car bell suddenly, accompanied by a crisp and melodious The sound of "Ding Lingling" disappeared in the morning mist... Not long after, the mayor personally set aside a small site for the old man Bai Fangli next to the railway station. The only "supporting education company" in the country - Tianjin Baifangli Supporting Education Company was officially established, and 84-year-old Bai Fangli became a company chairman.At the beginning of the opening, he solemnly announced to the twenty or so employees employed: "The money we earn is called education, so if we have a profit, we will pay one cent to education, settle the monthly payment, and hand it in every month..." People who don't know think that the old man Bai Fangli can sit back and enjoy the blessings. In fact, his "supporting education company" is just a small kiosk of 7 square meters by the train station, selling pastries, tobacco and alcohol. "Don't underestimate my small pavilion, this is a golden place." The old man Bai Fangli, who was sitting face to face with me, pointed to the site where he now lives in the open air, and said proudly, "I just rely on The 10,000 yuan from the sale of the old house and the borrowed money were used as the capital, and it slowly snowballed bigger and bigger, from a small pavilion at the beginning to more than a dozen small pavilions, and they became one piece. The cost is deducted in one month at most , wages and taxes, there is still more than 10,000 yuan left!" "That's a lot more than you can earn by riding a tricycle alone." After hearing this, I was really happy for the old man. "Several times more!" The old man laughed loudly. But there is one thing I can't help but ask him: "You always take care of such a big stall yourself?" "No, no, no, I'm the chairman. Regardless of the specifics, I'll hire a manager who will help me manage things. I still ride my own tricycle..." The old man waved his hands several times, "Do I know how to do business? Besides I have been pedaling three rounds for decades, this time you made me sit in the chair like an emperor, watching the guys sweating and yelling. Didn’t you cut your own life? You want it or not.” The old man laughed cheerfully. After laughing loudly, he continued: "I can't sit still when I think about those children who are short of money! I still take out the car every day, entertain customers 24 hours a day, and can always earn twenty or thirty yuan a day. Don't worry. Underestimating these twenty or thirty yuan, it can provide a day's food for a dozen poor children!" This is the whole inner world of an octogenarian.He relied on all he could to set off a splendid sky and warm the students. I know that Bai Fangli has sent a considerable amount of sponsorship fees to several universities, middle schools, and primary schools in Tianjin every month since he started his company. These so-called sponsorship fees are actually all the after-tax profits of his "supporting education company". From the first dozen of students sponsored, to dozens, more than a hundred, until more than 200... and became famous "supporting education model workers" in Jinmen and at home and abroad. When the old man talked about this glorious history, he couldn't help rummaging through the few bags of report materials about him, and proudly boasted: "...I went to the central government and the city to give reports, and thirteen machines pointed at me. The video TV. I told the students, it’s really not easy for you to spend the money of my grandpa Bai, a coolie. Go in the direction, I will work harder and harder for you to learn. Why do I support education? Support your students? I know that our country is backward because education has not improved, so I want to support education and support your students to go to school well. I am Those who are registered above, if you don’t do something, how can you explain it to your superiors? You see, you came all the way from Beijing to come to me. I don’t have any deeds, and I don’t have any materials for you to write. You are not good. Going back to write, am I considered advanced and a model worker? So I work harder and harder. I told the children, as long as you study hard, don’t worry about money. With my grandpa Bai riding three rounds a day, there will be The money for your children to go to school and eat. When I said this, all the children in the audience cried..." Can you not cry!The old man is still immersed in his happy memories, but I can't calm down the undulating world of my heart: an old man sitting in front of you who looks like a beggar but is taller than a monument, has been pedaling continuously for more than ten years. In three rounds, traveling more than 500,000 miles and donating more than 300,000 yuan to help poor students, the feat in itself is enough to shame those who are capable but never willing to give to the society and public welfare undertakings. The society, those who donate to public welfare and try their best to take advantage of it and extend their black hands, can't compare with Bai Fangli's spiritual realm.According to theory, an old man like Bai Fangli not only does not need to do anything for others, but he should be able to accept the care of others.But he didn't, not only didn't have any at all, but he lit up all the candle that he could only shine for others, and lit it so brightly and brilliantly! At the end, the old man told me that although the business site of his "Supporting Education Company", the main source of income for many students, was demolished due to the improvement of the urban environment, his tricycle is still there, and his feet are still strong. His heart of patriotism, love for teaching, and love for students is still beating "plop plop", and he wants to restore the monthly support to more than 200 students as soon as possible. "Master, allow me to pay tribute to you on behalf of all the classmates who have been sponsored by your old man." I think I will cry if I stay in front of the old man any longer. "Okay, let the students rest assured, my body is still strong, and I still ride three rounds every day, and I still earn back ten or eight yuan a day." The old man sat up on the small stool with difficulty, and stretched out his hands to me. "What's the matter with your old hands?" When I touched those rough hands, my heart trembled: there was a large purple ecchymosis on the back of both hands of the old man! "I was beaten by some thieves the night before yesterday." The old man said, "They saw the chaos here, and they wanted to take advantage of it. When I went out to stop me, they beat me with wooden sticks..." I caressed the scar on the back of the old man's hand, full of grief and distress, just like stroking my own grandfather's hand. "Go to the hospital quickly!" "If I don't go, if I go, they will put you in the hospital. What should I do?" I really can't understand how the old man always treats himself so indifferently. When we parted, I asked him for some materials to take away.The old man seemed a little embarrassed.I understood right away, and said, "Master, I will make copies of the materials I want, and I will make a few more copies for you by the way, and you can give them to reporters when they come." After hearing this, the old man seemed to get excited, and his face was a little red. He stretched out his hand and held me and said repeatedly: "You are a good person I met. They used to write about me, and they took away a lot of materials when they came. I It costs dozens of yuan to print it! But people are here to promote me, so I have something to say! At that time, the small kiosks where I did business were not demolished, and I had enough money to afford them. Now it’s no longer possible, and I’ve lost my source of income. Well, some of the students who were funded didn’t get their money for a month or two, so you see you come all the way to promote it and I ask you to pay for it, it’s so weird..." "Grandpa, don't take it seriously. What are we compared to you pedaling a bicycle to donate money to students at your age? Don't do it, sir..." I felt my nose sore, and then I can't go on. "Goodbye, sir." "Welcome again." Behind him, the old man suddenly shouted, "...When the article comes out, give me a copy!" "Hey, definitely." At that time, I had already walked a few steps, and I really wanted to look back at this extremely respectable old man in Jinmen, but I didn't have the courage.I found that my tears had already blurred my eyes.I guess this is the first and maybe the last time I'll see the most respectable person in my life, and I long to turn around and take another look at him, but there's just no power, no power to make me The power to cry without crying... After leaving Tianjin, I arrived in Shanxi. This is a world of two worlds.One is the world of sea and rivers, and the other is the world of mountains and hills.On the noisy streets of the metropolis, when the old man Bai Fangli pedaled his tricycle and struggled through the busy streets and alleys, almost no one would notice or hear the sound of an old man in his eighties. The sound of the wheels.On the rugged trails of the Taihang Mountains, people also don’t notice or hear the sound of the wheels of the two-wheeled scooter pushed by an ordinary peasant woman... However, I heard it clearly, sweetly, and even so emotionally.In today's highly developed material civilization, people can casually listen to scandals in cafes about rich people spending millions for a smile on a lover or a beautiful woman, or pick up a basket of scandals about corrupt officials who have gone to great lengths to replace them. Evidence that he lost his conscience by adding money to gambling.However, you may not be able to believe and understand such a thing: a mountain woman and her dead father have worked together for twenty years to help a large group of impoverished students who have never met each other.What moved me was that this pair of "poor father and daughter" who had spent tens of thousands of dollars each time for many years, were impoverished in their own family.If you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, you wouldn’t believe that this pair of generosity donors who often appear in the capital’s and provincial capital’s town halls and television stations not only don’t see any “wealthy” at all, but even basic living things are hard to see. : A few farmhouses that couldn’t be more ordinary. Inside the farmhouse are three vertical cabinets lined up in a line. The owner said that these are still passed down by his great-grandfather; a square table, two old-fashioned chairs, one of which has half a leg short; The only luxury is a 17-inch TV set on the square table, which was brought back from the province by his dead father when he was a representative of the Seventh National People's Congress.Seeing that our eyes were fixed on the copper lock on the old-fashioned cabinet intentionally or unintentionally, the master took out the key and opened it in front of everyone. Layers of patch upon patch of old clothes and tattered mattresses. Bi Laying said that she never wanted reporters or writers to come to her home for interviews. She said that she would rather stand on the rostrum in red and flowers and let people think that she was really a rich man or something. Then those poor students will accept her donation with peace of mind, otherwise she said that others would not dare to accept her heart. Bi Laying, who is as simple as the soil of the Taihang Mountains, is not good at words, and even less good at putting on airs. Except for the agility that she exudes when she pushes a two-wheeled cart to feed a group of piglets, you will only see her. It's a simple and honest smile and the unique behavior of Dashan's daughter.However, this is only the superficial phenomenon you see of her, you can't see her hot heart of pity for life and poor students! Both Bi Laying and her father were farmers, and they had no special ability. They relied on what a farmer could do to grow grain and raise pigs. One became a deputy to the National People's Congress (father), and the other was a deputy to the Provincial People's Congress and the first member of the National People's Congress. International Year of Families "Five Good Families" Gold Award Winner (Bi Laying). "We are farmers, and farmers have no other abilities except strength. Although strength is not gold and silver money, it can produce gold and silver money. We have strength! When strength is exhausted, it will be regenerated. Give some strength and sleep less. Hey, if you collect a few hundred catties more grain, you will spend less money to buy feed, and you can save 10,000 or 8,000 yuan a year to support those poor children to go to school and go to college.” Let Bi Laying talk about helping the poor. "Ideological Realm", you will find that she is a real farmer, but at the same time you will find that she is a real materialist thinker. Without profound wisdom and flashy rhetoric, Bi Laying has followed her venerable father for nearly 20 years as a student, and this long journey of teaching is neither earth-shattering nor humanly possible.Bi Laying did not have a deep initial impression of why she embarked on a life path of "raising pigs to help students". She said that when she was a girl of sixteen or seventeen, she had personally experienced a problem from her father that was difficult for her to unravel at the time. puzzle.At that time, the "Cultural Revolution" had just ended, and my father, who had been imprisoned for several years because of his innocence, started a decade-long petitioning career under the condition of being illiterate and penniless.At that time, little Laying didn't know what her father was asking for. She only knew that the whole family could go out and petition for her father. Piggy was always sold in advance, and in exchange for dozens of dollars, his father went to the provincial and capital cities.At that time, little Laying wanted to go to school like other girls, but she didn't dare to speak up, knowing that the only piggy in the family who could make money was raised and prepared for her father to visit.She clearly remembered that every time her father came back from the provincial capital or the capital, he always brought back a sickly little piglet, and his father always said that the piglet was not bought, but was picked up on the roadside or given by others.Little Laying got angry when she saw this sickly piglet. First, this half-dead piglet was always so difficult to raise, and was so delicate that it was harder to take care of than a baby; I can't stop thinking about it.I hate you, piggy!Once, when his father was not at home, little Laying intentionally put a pile of pig fodder in the open and rainy weather before feeding it to the piglets.But the next day she found that her father was exhausted and passed out in the pigsty—he kept warm the little piggy with his own body temperature and grass all night long!That time little Laying cried, she cried for her father's pity, and she also cried for her own unfortunate fate.Later, she not only gradually developed feelings for the little piggy, but also discovered that her father was very good at raising piglets, and there was no such thing as a weak piglet that would not be fattened up by him.小腊英似乎从父亲对养猪的专注中看到了老人家在上访问题上那义无返顾的执着和对美好人生的无限希冀，于是她也开始学养猪，直到后来父亲或家人不在的时候她能独立喂养几头猪崽。 这样的日子过去了近十个春秋，小腊英也变成了大腊英，而父亲也在一位老将军的帮助下平反了往日的冤屈。 “爸，你现在不用上访了，咋还养猪崽，而且是一大窝崽？”一日，腊英见刚刚宁静了不足半年的猪圈里又热闹非凡，便问。 父亲嘿嘿一笑，没理会女儿的话，照常用他往日的养猪本领一天一天地精心饲养他的那些小猪崽。半年过后，小猪崽养得又肥又壮，该出栏了！邻里们都来观摩，并在一旁七嘴八舌地说这回毕家可再不是“上访贫困户”了，而马上是养猪致富户啦！腊英听得也高兴哟，她想跟老爸全家苦了几十年，咱毕家也该有出头日子了！ 晚饭时分，父亲从镇上回来，腊英和母亲、丈夫及孩子们欢欢喜喜地把老人家让到上座，等待着那“大珠小珠落玉盘”的激动时刻……可是直到碗空锅朝天时，这激动的时候仍不见到来。腊英和全家人大眼小眼直瞪着父亲，问你卖掉猪崽的钱哪去啦？ 我都给邻村的那几个辍学的娃儿送去了呀！父亲眯着堆满皱纹的老眼笑嘻嘻地说道。 腊英和全家人你看我、我看你，全都呆了。先是老母亲的一声撕人心肺的啼哭，接着是娃儿们的哭闹…… “咋啦？我做错了？”父亲把饭碗往桌上重重一放，说，“你们咋忘了？忘了我是为什么坐监狱吃劳苦的？忘了我为啥上访十年才平冤的？不就是我、我们全家没有人识文认字嘛！一个家，不认字、不识文，全家就没有出头的好日子过。一个国家，没有文化、没有科学，就是全国的人没有好日子过。我看到邻村的娃儿好不容易考上了大学、考上了重点高中，却因为没有钱而半途退学，可惜啊！我想我老农民一个能做啥呀？不能。可我能养猪，养好几栏猪崽，我就这点本事，我就这点能耐。那就把这点本事和能耐给那些能上大学、上重点高中的好娃儿尽一份心、一份力，有什么不对？有什么不好？你们说，我是做对了还是做错了？英儿，你说爸是老昏了还是老得有出息了？你说呀，爸要听你的话。” 腊英哭了，哭得双肩抖动。许久，腊英抬起泪眼，重重地向父亲点点头：“爸，你做得对。我、我们全家支持你！” “英儿……”父亲顿时老泪纵横，哭得比谁都动情，最后是在儿孙们劝导下又破涕为笑。 父亲选定的济困助学路并不好走，尤其对缺乏经济来源的一个农民家庭来说。而且除了经济原因外，还有更严重的是不被人理解。最早有关助学的事都由父亲一手操办，腊英和家里人只管把地种好，把猪喂大，至于外面的事她们一概不太清楚。1987年父亲资助山西经济管理学院的一批贫困大学生时，在临上省城时父亲便叫上了腊英，说我年岁越来越大了，可咱家助贫济学的事才刚开始，以后怕你得替我多走走了。腊英是孝女，父亲说啥都听着。那是腊英第一次上省城，在向山西经济管理学院贫困生捐助的仪式上，她不仅深深感受到了父亲选择济困助学这条路的意义，而且也被另外一件事触痛了自己的心。那是她和父亲捐款结束后，准备返回高平老家的前一夜，突然她和父亲住的小招待所里来了好几位“募捐者”，他们有的是报社记者，有的是省直某某单位或什么基金会的，牌子都很大，他们共同的一句话是：希望毕家父女为他们的“事业”掏钱，而且一开口便说得那么轻松随便——三万、五万不嫌少，十万、八万凑整数。腊英哪见过这种场面，说我跟爸到省城几天除了受捐助单位请客吃上两顿好饭，其余的饭我们吃的都是方便面和自己家中带来的干馍馍，别说三万五万，就是三五百也没有呀！那些伸手者哪相信腊英的话，说你别逗了，谁不知你们毕家是“大富翁”，说句痛快话，我们这些单位办的事也跟救济贫困大学生的事差不多重要，你到底给还是不给？腊英第一次碰见这样的事，她想说可又嫌自己嘴笨。最后还是父亲见识广，说同志们不要着急，这回我们出门没多带钱，只准备了给几个念不下书的大学生带了些钱，下回一定也多为大伙想着些。来来来，捐款的事留着下回，咱们先上馆子喝一杯。父亲叫腊英跟着一起去，腊英哪有这份心思，推说不舒服留在招待所。晚上十来点钟时，父亲踉踉跄跄回来了，一头栽在床上直到第二天天亮才苏醒过来。“英儿，本来我留了300元钱想给你和娃儿扯几块花布做件新衣服，不想昨晚都给那几个人吃光了……爸对不住你和娃儿。”父亲喃喃地说。腊英啥都没埋怨，说爸我们还是早点离开太原吧，保不准呆一会儿有更多的人来向我们伸手哩！于是父女俩连早饭都没顾上吃便“逃”出了山城…… 其实，腊英父女俩“逃”回老家高平后，仍有人不远数百里追来向他们毕家伸手要赞助，只是当那些充满欲望的人走进毕家亲眼目睹了这家“富裕户”的贫困程度才一个一个甘心自愿地主动放弃了募捐的念头。而也就是在这个时候，人们才真正相信，毕家捐助给学生们的每一分钱都来之不易，这来自毕家人的一滴滴血汗啊！ 从80年代中期父亲靠三百五百捐助到现在的毕腊英能两万三万地拿出手，毕家一共资助了贫困生十余万元巨款。可所有的这些钱，毕家人除了靠养猪生钱外，没有一分钱来自其他途径。有人给毕腊英父女算过一笔账，一年毕家饲养50头猪，每顿至少要喂30担饲料，一天就是90担；每一担饲料约40勺，从磨房一勺一勺舀好，担到猪舍再一勺一勺地舀进猪食盆，每天毕腊英一家人就要舀7200多勺。一年365天，毕家人几乎重复着同一种繁重而单调的劳作。从早晨东方泛白到皓月当空的夜晚，毕家人忙里忙外地或是在磨房磨粉、沥浆、搅兑猪饲料，或是大担小勺地在猪栏前一伏一起地喂食清圈。毕家是个大家，腊英的父亲和二叔老兄弟俩没分过家，这样毕氏一家便有了祖孙三代十几口人。但如此三代人并没有影响他们为了一个共同的目标，即养好猪、挣得钱去资助那些念不起书的穷学生。 1992年，腊英的父亲、第七届全国人大代表毕生才老先生不幸惨死在一起交通事故中。当这不幸的消息传到太原的山西经济管理学院等几所曾获得过毕家捐助的大学时，好几所大学的学生们自发组织了悼念活动。那些接受过毕家资助后重新获得学习机会的贫困学生们，在悼念会上泣不成声朗读着一篇篇情深意切的奠文，学子们为自己过早失去一位可敬可爱的农民老伯而无限悲伤。可是同学们万没有想到的是，仅时隔两个月，逝者的女儿毕腊英只身带着家中全部的9000元积蓄和新近卖猪所得的11200元钱，又来到了经济管理学院。这回她是代表父亲及全家人的心愿，专程来与校方商量设定一个以先父名字命名的“救济贫困大学生奖励基金”。 “……我父亲不幸去世了，但他生前担起的支持教育事业、资助贫困生的这份责任，从现在开始由我和全家人接过来。我是一个农村妇女，不识字，也没有啥本事，还是一句话，我有力气，有力气就能种地养猪，种了地养了猪就能生来钱。我向同学们保证，只要我毕家能拿得出一分钱，就不会让没有半分钱的同学挨饿辍学！”这段话是腊英在为父亲设立的教育奖励基金仪式上说的。她说这话时，台下的许多大学生们忍不住上台把这位个头不足一米五五的妇女，高高地簇拥起来。 呵，毕腊英，一个普通的农家女，可在大学生们的心目中，你和你家人是一座耸立云端的擎天丰碑。